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There are new local music releases, and things approaching fast – let’s look backwards and forwards in part one of two.
A couple of bands I mentioned last week have new music out. First up, everybody’s current favourites, extremely likeable young Te Puke punk trio Punktuation, comprising of Will King, Jack Taylor and Ahliyah Reihana.
I could tell their story but back in June, Te Puke News reporter Stuart Whitaker wrote a most excellent piece, still found on SunLive.co nz. Just search for ‘Punktuation’.
Punktuation is Ahliyah Reihana, Jack Taylor and Will King. Photo / Supplied
Whitaker writes: “The band’s only song on Spotify – so far – is called ‘Procrastination’. But the hope was that before too long a full album will be out”.
That hope has been realised with a self-titled album, eight songs clocking in at just above 20 minutes. And a damn good thrashy time it is too, fast and loud with big chords and impassioned vocals. I like it a lot. The wild 25 seconds of ‘Propaganda’ surely breaks some sort of speed record. Enthusiasm beats accuracy every time.
Eccentric
Their guitarist, multi-instrumentalist King, already has an album and EP – ‘Change’ and ‘Carpe Diem’ respectively – under his belt. Very different from Punktuation, I’d call them experimental lo-fi pop; they’re eccentric.
Not Exact. Photo / Supplied
Also releasing new music is Waihi Beach band Not Exact. Their sound, heavy and tight and leaning towards wall-of-sound guitars, is distinctive, with Keelan Simpson’s songs showing unusual structures and crushing production. Possibly scary live.
Moving sideways to a band mentioned a few times here with several loose Tauranga connections: Whanganui three-piece BB & The Bullets have just-released their debut album ‘High Tide’.
Brian Baker. Photo / Supplied
The trio, led by singer and guitarist Brian Baker, with drummer Brad McMillan and ex-Bay bass player Stu Duncan, played at the Te Puna Quarry Park in March and have since released three singles with videos. Now an album, seven originals, four blues standards and one Beatles song, is out and on first listen it’s an exemplary dose of blues-rock.
Through their connection with Tauranga bluesman Grant Haua they’ve signed to prestigious French record label Dixie Frog, which will distribute the album worldwide. I’ll report back next week with thoughts.
Pretty damn cool
Looking forward, there are a couple of albums I’ve got an ear out for. There’s a blues outing from Brownie Brown, recorded at Shane Davies’ Soundtree Studio, featuring Mike Kirk, Nigel Masters and a host of local luminaries.
There’s the imminent arrival of ‘Depth of Field’, a second album under Colourfield Studio head Tim Julian’s Fragile Colours alias, an instrumental collaboration with bass player Brian Franks wherein each track comes with a coffee recommendation. The first offering is on YouTube: search for ‘Dude! (Americano)’. It’s pretty damn cool.
The Whittakers. Photo / Supplied
Irish band The Whittakers are working on songs for their Celtic Beatles Adventure, a project pretty much summed up by its name. Currently they have nearly two dozen Fab Four songs adapted by the fertile mind of multi-instrumentalist Robbie Laven. Expect concerts. All Together Now: “We all live in a yellow submarine, hi di-diddly-doo-ri-diddlum-deh”.
Hear Winston’s latest playlist: https://tinyurl.com/rx4k5db8